Greek word · G4817
συλλογίζομαι
syllogizomai
to discuss
To add up or compute; to reckon together; to reason something through to a conclusion; to consider or weigh. The root λόγος here carries its sense of "account" or "reckoning", and the prefix συν- ("together") gives "put the accounts side by side".
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
- Range of meaning
To add up or compute; to reckon together; to reason something through to a conclusion; to consider or weigh. The root λόγος here carries its sense of "account" or "reckoning", and the prefix συν- ("together") gives "put the accounts side by side". In middle forms it means to reason something out for oneself or among a group.
- Against the English
BSB "deliberated", KJV/WEB/YLT "reasoned", and modern versions' "discussed" or "talked it over" are all acceptable. They miss the calculating, sum-it-up flavour: these men are running the political arithmetic of two possible answers.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Classical Greek uses it for computing and for logical inference; English "syllogism" comes from the same family. The Septuagint uses it for "considering" or "pondering" past things (e.g. Isa 43:18, "do not ponder the things of old"). It appears only here in the New Testament. In the parallels, Matthew 21:25 and Mark 11:31 use διαλογίζομαι, "discuss, debate".
Where it appears
Luke · 1
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Luke 20:5 συνελογίσαντο they reasoned
They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
Here: They "worked it out together": a joint calculation of consequences, not a search for the truth. Luke uses this word only here; Matthew and Mark have the more ordinary verb for discussing.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.